to learn how I fared. For Wulfnoth and Godwine
alike loved Olaf the king, and Godwine thought of me as his own
friend among the vikings of our fleet. But presently Godwine went
away to Bosham, where the earl's ships were mostly laid up, to see
to the housing of his vessels for the winter, and when I grew
strong it was rather my place to go to Pevensea and wait on
Wulfnoth, if I would see him. I think the earl came to Penhurst
more often also, because he would dig for more treasure in all the
old ruins in the town. But he found no more, as one might well
suppose, for it was but a chance that our find had escaped the
searching of the first Saxon comers. Yet I saw him now and then,
and ever would he rail at Ethelred the king, who sat still and left
the Danish thingmen in possession of the eastern strongholds even
yet.

Now one day the thane and I rode together with hawk and hound
eastward from Penhurst along the spur of a hill that runs thence
for many a long mile, falling southward on one side towards the sea
and lower hills between, and northward looking inland over
forest-covered hill and valley. And we went onward until we came to
the village that men call Senlac, where the long hill ridge ends
and sinks sharply into the valley of the little river Asten, and
there we thought that a heron or mallard would lie in the reedy
meadows below the place.

But up the course of the stream came another party, and when we
neared it, we saw that it was the earl himself with but a few
followers, and he too was riding with hawk on wrist, and hounds in
leash behind him, though it did not seem as if he had loosed
either.

"Ho, Relf, good morrow. What sport?" he said.

"Little enough, lord earl, as yet," the thane said.

"Do you and friend Redwald come with me, and I will show you
somewhat before you go home," the earl answered.

So we must go with him, willingly enough, for he was a great
hunter, and very skilful in woodcraft.

Now we went back through the village and up the hill again on the
same track by which we had just come, and when we were almost at
the top of the rise, the earl bade the men wait while we three rode
on. So they stayed, and we followed him, not at all knowing what he
would do.

Then we came to a track leading to the right as we rode, and he
took that way. It led to a place of which I had heard, for it had
no good name among the people, but I thought that he would not go
thither. Nevertheless he held s